Originally founded in 1951 as the Photo-News Service, the Photo Centre in Berwick was a staple of town life for over 65 years as a family-run press agency and photo studio.

Their premises at 17 Bridge Street had a well-equipped studio above the shop where commercial photography took place. The business also covered newsworthy events in the area and recorded family occasions and celebrations, marking milestones in the lives of several generations of townspeople.

The first photograph (BRO 1944/1/519/2) was taken on 28th October 1953. There was a miraculous escape for 65 passengers on the overnight Glasgow to Colchester train when it came off the rails at Goswick near Berwick-upon-Tweed at 1am. The locomotive ploughed on for more than 100 metres ripping up rails and sleepers before landing on its side. Remarkably only one person, a man from Berwick, suffered slight injuries.

The second photograph (BRO 1944/1/180/2) was taken on 25th June 1952. Two airmen were rescued from the North Sea when a Shackleton bomber exploded and crashed while on a naval exercise. The two survivors were brought to the Carr Rock Jetty in Spittal by the Holy Island lifeboat. Then they were transferred to salmon cobles which were rowed by the fishermen to an ambulance waiting on Spittal beach.

The final photograph (BRO 1944/1/5375/5c) was taken on 25th August 1969. It shows an RAF helicopter rescue from Holy Island causeway. This family of four holiday makers were stranded in their car by the rising tide by the bridge and “did not realise the water was so deep”. They were able to wade as far as the rescue box to wait for assistance to arrive. It was the third incident on the causeway that month and this still happens today.

Being close to the sea, and on a main railway and road link between England and Scotland, Berwick has always had to be prepared to respond to incidents. The Lifeboat Stations at Berwick and Holy Island have a long history of dealing with boats in distress and other incidents at sea including searching for people washed overboard or dragged out to sea. Many of these rescues took place in terrible weather conditions, putting the lifeboatmen in danger. The Lifeboat Station at Berwick still operates today but the Holy Island Station was closed in 1968.

Over the years, there have been various railway accidents near Berwick, particularly at Goswick. In October 1947, the Flying Scotsman was derailed there, causing the death of 28 passengers and the injury of 65 passengers.

All these incidents would have been reported in the local press and further afield, particularly railway accidents and those of national importance. David Smith, founder of the Photo Centre, started his career in Berwick as a Photojournalist on the Berwick Journal, a local newspaper. These journalists were expected to take photographs to capture the “story” and write the text to accompany them. In 1951, David Smith started his own business, a family run press agency and photo studio. David and his photographers, including his son, Ian, covered many events including royal visits and sporting fixtures and sent their photos and reports to regional and national newspapers for publication. Through time, this element of their work declined, and the studio and commercial work became more important.

Documentary Photography is an umbrella term encapsulating a wide range of approaches; however the term usually refers to art which captures a real moment, conveying a message about the world. It provides a straightforward and accurate representation of people, places, objects, and events, and is often used in reporting.

Photojournalism is a type of journalism that uses images to tell a news story. Photojournalism usually refers to photographs, but sometimes the term can be used to describe videos used in broadcast journalism. 

Photo essays are a form of visual storytelling, presenting a narrative through a series of images. Photo essays can be powerful ways to evoke emotion and understanding without using words.